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4 Science Ma rc h 2013 Just Scratching the Surface: Decoding the Nature of an Itch By Léa Jabbour ’14 Why does everybody have an itch to scratch Scientists have been asking themselves this very question for centuries, to no avail. Scientists all over the world have long debated whether a separate itch network exists or whether itch-signals pass through other existing nerves, such as those that transmit pain. In fact, scientists know that itching and pain are somehow related, because suppressing chronic pain often leads to chronic itching. Both sensations are important as they allow us to take note of unpleasant activity and thus prevent tissue damage or irritation. Pain is a widely understood mechanism that scientists can treat on various levels. On the other hand, when it comes to itching, researchers have long been stuck in heavy fog. However, very recent studies done at Johns Hopkins, Yale, and in several Chinese universities have brought us a step closer to decoding the mystery. The researchers participating in the project studied mice and were able to identify itch-specific nerves for the first time in history. Xinzhong Dong, a neuroscience professor at Johns Hopkins, explained that these sensory neurons serve to relay itchy sensations from the top layers of the skin to the spinal cord. Surprisingly enough, there are many genetic similarities between mice and humans, so it is very probable that humans have a similar itch-system to that of mice. The fact that dedicated itch nerves exist reinforces the theory that this horrible sensation is an evolutionary advantage and therefore plays a more or less important role in our survival. In this way, the recent studies on itching are allowing scientists to better understand its role. To take the experiments further, Dr. Dong and his colleagues genetically modified the mice’s itchspecific nerve cells to bind to capsaicin, a chemical that generates a hot chili pepper’s burning sensation. When capsaicin was rubbed on the mice’s skin, instead of feeling pain, they scratched themselves. The mice’s «Les yeux sont les fenêtres de l’âme.» Par Maddie King ’14 «L’univers pénètre en nous par les yeux, mais nous n’y comprenons rien tant qu’il n’est pas descendu dans notre bouche. » -Paul Auster Fenêtre de l’âme ou astre nébuleux, les yeux ont été, depuis toujours, l’objet de la pensée d’innombrables poètes et rêveurs amoureux pour la simple raison que, foncés ou clairs, aveugles ou voyants, ternes ou incandescents, ils sont marqués par une beauté sibylline et intemporelle. Par le regard, on est capable de communiquer d’une manière qui transcende émotionnellement la parole ou le toucher. Bien qu’au cours du temps nos yeux peuvent changer de taille, de couleur et même d’intensité, la structure de l’iris ne change pas pour autant. Quel que soit notre âge, les motifs de notre iris restent uniques au monde et immuables au cours de notre vie. Et c’est à cause de ces particularités que, d’un point de vue biométrique, l’iris est donc un outil morphologique idéal pour la reconnaissance et l’identification d’individus. Les fameux portraits du National Geographic sciencemag.org brains therefore received the signal “Itch me!” instead of “Ouch!” This proved that the neurons were transmitting only the itching, not the pain. As The New York Times explained in an article in January, identifying itch-specific nerves could help pharmaceutical companies suppress an annoying side effect that accompanies the intake of many drugs : itching. Today, many people in Africa refuse to take a certain malaria drug because it induces people to scratch. Experiments performed by Dr. Dong’s team determined that a certain chemical found in the drug, chloroquine, is responsible for this irritating side effect. With a little more research, scientists could potentially suppress the itchiness induced by chloroquine and even help people with skin diseases that cause a chronic itch. Scientists are still puzzled by the specific role of itching and its place in evolution. Many hypothesize that scratching removes irritants found in the skin or that it is supposed to serve as a warning to avoid irritants such as mosquitoes. Furthermore, there is a certain psychological aspect to itching, called empathy. This represents the urge to itch when one sees another itching or even reads about itching. For example, some people will have an itch to scratch many times while reading this article. Needless to say, we still have a lot to learn about the nature of itching and its role in our lives. However, for the first time in history, scientists have made discoveries regarding itch-specific neurons and are starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. D’ailleurs, les yeux sont devenus, à notre époque, une facette intégralement importante à l’identité d’un individu, ou du moins bien plus que nous aurions pu le penser auparavant. En 1994 est apparue une nouvelle technologie biométrique: la reconnaissance de l’iris. Apres plusieurs années d’authentification et de raffinement, cette procédure, bien que critiquée lors de son invention, présente ses avantages: à partir de données d’un œil déjà intégrées au système, un ordinateur équipé d’un matériel spécifique est capable, en effectuant une série d’algorithmes complexes, de com- bbc.co.uk parer les deux iris, et de confirmer s’ils sont bel et bien les mêmes. C’est cette technique qui, en 2002, conclut définitivement la recherche pour la fameuse « jeune fille afghane ». Prise en photo lorsqu’elle n’avait que quatorze ans, la fille afghane, maintenant reconnue comme étant appelée Shabat Gula, devint, en 1985, l’emblème du magazine National Geographics, et le symbole de la souffrance des afghans. Mais, bien que son visage fusse connue autour du monde, son identité resta un mystère jusqu'à ce que les recherches de son photographe, Steve McCurry qui, auparavant avait étés en vain, portèrent leurs fruits. Mais même après l’avoir retrouvée, il restait encore pour McCurry et son équipe à prouver au monde que la femme de trente et un ans qu’il avait photographiée dans un petit village en Afghanistan était bel et bien la jeune fille qu’il avait immortalisée dix-sept ans auparavant dans un camp de refugiés au Pakistan. Pour cela, McCurry, de retour aux Etats Unis, analysa les deux photos, en conclut que les motifs de l’iris de la fille était identique a celle de la femme (bien qu’à première vue ils ne se ressemblent pas du tout). Maintenant, la reconnaissance de l’iris en tant que technologie récemment fiable, est surtout utilisée comme outil de sécurité. En effet, depuis 2011, la demande pour des systèmes de sécurité basés sur cette nouvelle technologie se fait de plus en plus grande. Il est infiniment plus commun de soumettre à un scan de l’iris pour avoir accès à un bâtiment, de circuler dans un aéroport, et même de déverrouiller un ordinateur en 2013 qu’il ne l’était il y a deux ans. En ce qui concerne l’identification criminologique, la reconnaissance de l’iris commence à présent à prendre le dessus. En effet, grâce à ses nombreux avantages, l’iris présente une utilité bien plus pratique et plus fiable que les empreintes digitales, qui, elles, requièrent la coopération du suspect, et peuvent, très rarement, changer au cours du temps. Certains considèrent que la reconnaissance de l’iris est même beaucoup plus précise que tout autre système d’identification biométrique qui existe aujourd’hui, et soutiennent très fortement l’épanouissement de cette nouvelle technologie dans le futur.
Arts 5 Ma rc h 2013 Congratulations! FASNY Students Earn Recognition at Mamaroneck Artist Guild Once again FASNY students displayed their artistic talents in the selective Mamaroneck Artist Guild’s “Young Artists on the Rise” exhibition. Congratulations to Ms. Gisondo, Mr. Murray, and all the students whose work was chosen for recognition. The following students won further praise: Photography: Jennifer Roux (2nd), Victoria Cassar (Honorable Mention); Drawing: Chloé Jaquenoud (2nd), Clara Martin (Honorable Mention); Mixed media: Romane Mizeret (1st place), Mathilde de Bretteville (2nd place); Sculpture: Camille Williams (1st place), Victoria Decaux (Honorable Mention) Two Addictive, Obsessive Television Series By Mathieu Salz ’19 The Walking Dead is really a show that will make you obsessed with it because of its greatness. Every episode ends with you on the edge of your seat, rapt with suspense. The show’s basic premise is that the world is run over with zombies, and the main characters must survive and try to find a place they can call home. There are a lot of interesting characters such as Deryl, the nature man who had a troubled childhood, and Rick, an ex-police officer that leads the group of survivors. There are also many other fantastic characters, but sadly in every season, some characters die. Occasionally, they will encounter new people, their intentions unknown, making for mystery about the character. They have also made three videogames including one made by Activision, and there is also a comic book series, for those who don’t have the time to watch TV or play video games. The story is incredibly well-planned and everybody that is missing out on The Walking Dead is missing out on something amazing, terrific and plainly fantastic. They have had two complete seasons and they cut season three in two parts; the second part came out on Feb. 10, 2013. Every minute of this show is priceless, so buying the show on DVD is a steal. In this series you will see the amazing makeup work for the zombies and the actors. Sometimes you might be disgusted and sometimes you might even shed a tear. It will provoke many emotions and this is something that makes it amazing. You should watch this series and be forever amazed. Breaking Bad is a great show that is really under-appreciated. Many people assume that it is just about drugs, but it is about so much more. Breaking Bad will draw you into its amazing episodes. This show will make you think a bit harder and will make you scratch your head to figure out what just happened on your TV screen. Its amazing plot is wonderful and it makes everything worthwhile. The show is about a man Oscar Snub Follows Criticism Of Zero Dark Thirty Torture Scenes Continued from the Front Page The film depicts torture in its full brutality, making no attempt to sugarcoat it, and Kathryn Bigelow has argued that it was simply a neutral, objective portrayal of a brutal, unpleasant episode in the hunt for Bin Laden. The only problem is that it is somewhat inaccurate: while the CIA certainly did torture for information during the War on Terror, for which they were recently condemned by the European Court of Human Rights, torture was by no means crucial to Bin Laden’s capture. The original leads were not provided by CIA detainees as shown in the movie; actually, many believe that torture as an interrogation method, in addition to being morally questionable to say the least, is ineffective, as the victim is just as likely to lie or just blurt out the first thought on his or her mind for the pain to end. The CIA used many other methods to obtain information, such as bribery, espionage, surveillance and other interrogation methods, but these were not shown named Walter White, who is a normal, boring teacher until he is diagnosed with cancer. As soon as he learns he has cancer, he realizes that the he can not afford chemotherapy. He does not have a lot of money. The only way that he can make fast cash is by making 100% pure methamphetamine, a powerful and devastating drug. During the show he will go on drug runs with his former student, Jesse Pinkman who is already into selling drugs. Throughout the story Walter White starts changing and becomes something truly ‘evil’, and Jesse lives a difficult life with problem after problem. Walter White also nicknamed Heisenberg has to keep his secret from his family. He is also greatly over qualified for being a high school teacher, and was cheated out of a luxurious life. So as you can see Breaking Bad is truly a story about more than just drugs. There is drama, action and more. Currently there are four seasons on Netflix and the fifth season is still going on. Occasionally, you might also learn about chemistry (not about how to make drugs, that’s a bad idea). One bad effect of the show is that since Breaking Bad has aired, “blue meth,” a signature trademark of the show, is now being produced. Overall, though, this series is well worth watching. These two AMC TV shows are successes. They have generated massive profits for their content. You can see these two shows on either Netflix or whatever you use to watch shows. Please, do not use Pirate’s Bay to illegally watch these shows; that’s like punching all the actors in the face, especially the child actors. Both these shows are great, and they are among the best in their genre. These two shows are very different because The Walking Dead is an apocalyptic world while Breaking Bad is more a bucket list with more crime, drama and suspense. These great shows are incomparable because of their great differences. But these are both entertaining for any genre lover so, you should watch them. Sony Pictures in the film, with the exception of a brief scene in which a Lamborghini is used to bribe someone. The question, then, is: why did Kathryn Bigelow blow the role of torture out of proportion and exaggerate its importance in Bin Laden’s capture Probably for a very simple reason: to add drama to the story. If you ask anyone who watched the movie (which was excellently directed aside from this controversial historical inaccuracy) what part they found most memorable, they will probably mention the harrowing torture scenes of the beginning, and without these scenes, the film would probably be much less powerful and, callous as it sounds in this context, entertaining. Kathryn Bigelow emphasized these scenes to add drama to her film, not to make any political statement about the CIA’s practices, or to justify torture. The issue of the morality of torture is a serious one that must be addressed and not taken lightly, and it is important that people know the truth about this issue. However, I believe that a film should be judged on its merit as entertainment or even Art, not based on a political statement it is believed to espouse, and as a film “Zero Dark Thirty” is certainly a success.
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